Female sex hormonal imbalances
Sex hormonal imbalances are very common amongst women. They happen naturally during different stages in life including puberty, menstruation, pregnancy and menopause however you can experience hormonal imbalances outside of these stages due factors such as lifestyle factors, diet, weight, alcohol, stress, lack of exercise, products that you use etc.
There are many symptoms you can experience due to a hormonal imbalance and in certain instances some people can continue to experience continual irregular hormonal balances throughout their life.
Hormones are responsible for a wide variety of functions within the human body and act as tiny messengers between the big organs of our body. They serve to play an important role in behavioural and physiological activities such as digestion, metabolism, sleep, lactation, growth, physical development, reproduction and mood. So it is no wonder that a small imbalance in our hormonal system has the ability to manifest in many different kinds of signs and symptoms.
Some of the most common signs and symptoms of a hormonal imbalance are:
- Headaches and Migraines
- Mood Swings
- Unexplained Weight Gain
- Heavy, painful and/or irregular periods
- Skin Changes e.g. acne and/or oily skin
- Fertility Problems
- Breast tenderness
- Fatigue
- Food cravings
- Pain stiffness and swelling in your joints
- Cramps and back pain
- Excessive Sweating
As you can see by the list above there are many different types of symptoms that you can receive due to a hormonal imbalance. Usually it just takes a small hormonal change within the body to produce such symptoms and the main hormone responsible is often oestrogen. Below is a step by step guide that you can follow in order to help reduce the effect of a hormonal imbalance.
- Headaches and Migraines:
Headaches and migraines can be a common manifestation of a hormonal imbalance. Oestrogen and Progesterone play a complex role with the sensitivity of your brainstem which is one of the main neural structures responsible for producing your headaches and migraines. In most instances a hormonal headache or migraine will be worse two days prior to your menstrual cycle, during your menstrual cycle and two days after your menstrual cycle.
What to do: Keeping a symptom diary, identify the triggers of your headaches or migraines, keeping to a regular sleep pattern, stay away from flavour enhancers such as MSG, stay away from alcohol and caffeine as much as you can. Importantly, make sure your neck is assessed and treated by someone with advanced training in the field of headaches and migraines as posture and joints within your neck can contribute to this brainstem sensitivity. One of the team members at Melbourne Headache Solutions will be able to examine, treat and make appropriate recommendations to manage your hormonal headache/migraine.
- Mood swings:
The female sex hormone oestrogen has an effect on neurotransmitters in the brain including serotonin (a chemical that boosts mood). Fluctuations in oestrogen can cause premenstrual syndrome (PMS) or depressed mood during the perimenopause (the phase before periods stop completely) and menopause.
What to do: If feeling low or anxious interferes significantly with your day-to-day life, then dietary and lifestyle changes, such as taking up exercise, drinking less alcohol and quitting smoking, herbal remedies (such as St John’s Wort) can all be beneficial in stabilising mood.
- Unexplained weight gain: A number of hormone-related conditions can cause weight gain including an underactive thyroid (when your thyroid gland does not produce enough thyroid hormones which regulate metabolism), polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) (a hormone-related problem causing small cysts on the ovaries) and the menopause (which results in hormonal changes that can make you more likely to gain weight around your abdomen).
What to do: If you are experiencing unexplained weight gain, with no change in diet or exercise levels, you may wish to consult a medical expert such as a general practitioner with a special interest in women’s health. They will be able to check for conditions such as thyroid problems or ovarian cysts and will be able to test for other hormonal imbalances that might be contributing towards unexplained weight gain.
Also assessing one's diet to ensure that you are not over consuming a particular food group or not missing out on any micro/macro nutrients may also be beneficial helping to lose any gained kilos. As well addressing exercise habits and activity levels will be beneficial for weight management.
4.Skin problems: Chronic adult acne can be a sign of low levels of oestrogen and progesterone and high levels of androgen hormones and can also indicate polycystic ovary syndrome. Similarly, hormonal imbalances during pregnancy or the menopause can cause itchy skin while dry skin is a symptom of the menopause or thyroid problems.
What to do: If you believe a persistent skin problem is caused by a hormonal balance, you could consult a general practitioner to diagnose and treat the underlying problem or they may chose to refer to a dermatologist that will suggest approbate treatment. Sometimes additional vitamin supplements can be used to further look after your skin. Vitamin C has been shown to limit the effects of ultra-violet rays on the skin, Vitamin E has been shown provide protection from the Sun’s UV rays, Zinc supplementation can assist in skin repair and damage, it has also been shown to assist in reducing the severity of Eczema type symptoms. Omega 3’s and other fatty acids are essential fatty acids and assist with skin fullness and may also help to prevent dry skin from occurring. Vitamin D is also a common nutrient lacking in the general population and is found most readily in the sun. Topical application of Vitamin D has been shown to manage the symptoms of psoriasis.
A sex hormonal imbalance can have many symptoms and can contribute negatively to the underlying cause of headaches and migraines. Therefore it is important to treat the hormonal imbalance to help take one step closer towards long-term results for your headaches and migraines.
If you are sick of your chronic headaches and migraines and want a different, long-term solution, contact us here at Melbourne Headache Solutions to see how we can help you. Call us on (03) 9486 7543 to book an appointment with one of our practitioners today.
